I'd like to say we gave it a try.
I'd like to blame it all on life.
Maybe we just weren't right;
but that's a lie, that's a lie.
May was absolutely exhausted. She and Wally has just announced their engagement this morning and the press have kept getting on and on about it. Yet, May didn't blame them. She had caught the attention of the media a long time ago. Ever since her dad became the Gym Leader of Petalburg City, and she became the longest and youngest defending Pokémon champion of the Hoenn league (winning the title at the age of 13 and defending it for 5 years), and saved the world for being nothing but an endless body of water she became the most watched person in the entire universe. And nothing more could stir the press than the epic love story of the sweet little girl turned heroine and the sick little boy she helped turned legit pokémon trainer.
Even in the midst of all the commotion, she was happy. She was at home, she was with her family, and she was with Wally. She couldn't be happier, or at least she thought. She stared at the picture frame stationed by the TV set. Suddenly, she just wanted to melt away. She stood up and held the photograph in her hand looking at it intently. She traced the silver hair outline of the man who stood right next to her. His right hand was holding the back of his head, and his left hand holding out a peace sign like how May's left hand was. Her hair was in a mess and so was his, if that's even possible, and they both showed off big smiles and May couldn't help but remember.
It was absolutely windy that afternoon and May's 16th birthday picnic wasn't going at all as planned. Food was flying everywhere and leaves kept on getting its way to May's face. All the guests had tried to at least protect themselves from the floating appetizers and stabilize the winds with their flying pokémons. May had gotten behind a large tree to get away from the commotion.
"Now, whose idea was it to do a picnic for your birthday?" She heard a voice say from out of nowhere. She turned only to see her mentor and long-time friend Steven Stone with a smirk on his lips, his hands on his pockets and his silver-grey hair swaying perfectly with the wind.
"I don't know but whoever they are, they have to pay for my blouse. It has chocolate mousse all over it." She said pointing at the stain at the bottom of her shirt. Another breeze blew which caused May's bandana to get carried away. "Wait!" she shouted as she reached her hand to get it. Fortunately, Steven got it for her.
"Here you go." Steven said tying the bandana to May's arm. May suddenly flushed red. He was standing so close and May had these butterflies in her stomach that she couldn't control. It was no secret that May had felt something more for her predecessor. Everyone knew about it, everyone except him. "So, since we're stuck here. I want to ask you a question." He asked her, his eyes filled with kindness met hers.
May cleared her throat and put on the best "acting normal" voice that she had. "Of course, what is it?"
"How does it feel? You know, finally being sixteen and free." He asked with such sincerity yet May cannot help but be taken aback by his question. She looked at him with a puzzled look of confusion.
"It's just another year. Why should it feel different?" she answered. "You've been sixteen before. You should know." She said playfully punching his arm. The winds have stopped but May could feel a cool sensation tingling in her spine as Steven slowly leaned towards her. She tried to step back but she was already against the tree. Cold drops of sweat fell from her forehead as Steven came closer. She closed her eyes, both horrified and excited for what's going to happen.
"May! Steven!" Brendan called. May gasped for air the moment distance was present between her and Steven. She felt relieved and somehow disappointed that Brendan swooped in and ruined whatever moment that was going to happen.
"Hey Brendan, what's up?" she said perfectly masking all the emotions in her on full commotion. After a lifetime of living in the limelight, pretending was as easy as pie to her.
"Your dad is moving your birthday party some place not hurricane ready." Brendan said, mentally patting himself on the back for that witty remark, "But he wanted me to take pictures of you and the guests. You two should take a picture together. You game Steven?" Brendan tried to hide his smug smile. He was the first to know of May's feelings for Steven and he's been bugging her about it for quite a time now. May had repeatedly denied it, but Brendan knows May more than anyone and he knows when his best friend is in love.
"Of course, anything for May and her father." He replied as he stood closer to the blushing sixteen year old. Both posed for the picture and smiled. When it was over, Steven's pokénav beeped. "My father needs me." He said as he put his pokénav away. He looked at May and leaned to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Happy Birthday May." He said before he took out his ethereal Skarmory and flew away to disappear in the clouds.
"I saw it you know." Brendan had said right after Steven had left. May's hand was stuck on the area where Steven had kissed. She was red as a Groudon and her blush only confirmed Brendan's assumptions. He felt free to show his smug smile already. "He was going to kiss you on the forehead before I came. Sorry to disappoint you but Steven is a gentleman, so whatever you were expecting, it wasn't gonna happen."
"W-w-what? I don't know what you mean." May stuttered. "And yes, Steven is a gentleman."
"Oh come on May! How oblivious do you think I am? I know you like him! You were mentally drooling as you mentally pleaded for him to kiss you." Brendan said, finally impatient with his friend. May looked down and fiddled with her fingers. It was no use lying to Brendan. She knew better than that. May took a deep breath.
"It's a lost cause." She admitted. "I'm always going to be just May." She says with such hopelessness. Brendan looked at her with such comforting eyes and he put his arm on her shoulders.
"Since when did you become so dramatic? Head high, Maple! You're almost there." Brendan said encouragingly.
"I know when I'm not wanted." May said coldly. "And he doesn't want me." Brendan was shocked with May's sudden change. She was known as the optimistic girl who doesn't give up and right now, she's turning her back on something she hasn't even made action yet.
"May…" Brendan felt guilty. Maybe he was too aggressive. May completely misunderstood what he meant.
"He's never going to feel what I feel for him, Brendan. Maybe it's time for me to find someone who will." She said walking away.
A tear had escaped from May's eyes. She can't fathom why after all these time it still affected her. He still affected her. She shook her head and wiped her tears thinking that maybe the memory of him will go away but it won't. All the words that Brendan said echoed in her brains. She knew he was right but she was so scared she didn't even try. She tried blaming it on others but she knew deep down her she was at fault. They never happened not because they weren't meant to be. They never happened because she wasn't gutsy enough to take a chance.
But there was a reason why she was so scared, why she felt discouraged and the reason was because deep down she knew that he didn't love her. He didn't love her the way she did. He never pushed her away because she was like a little sister to him. She would always be just like a little sister to him. The moment she walked away, she gave up on him. She found someone else, she found Wally. Wally was always there for her, and she knew that Wally loved her. It was rough at first, but slowly, gradually, she reciprocated those feelings. Now, she's happy without pain, without heartache. She was wanted.
May took the photo out of its frame and called out her Blaziken. It's time for a fresh start and she can't get that when there's a constant reminder of what could have been. "Blaziken, use Ember." Her Blaziken looked at her intently, as if questioning her on her decision. "I'm ready. I know I am." She said confidently. But her Blaziken knew her too much, it gave her another concerned look but before May could react there was a knock on the door.
May gave out a huff and put Blaziken back in her pokéball. She put the picture in one of her drawers and ran for the door. When she opened it, she almost wanted to slam the door shut and lock all the windows and doors. Maybe she should have but instead she plastered a smile behind her heart which was slowly cracking through the edges.
"I came to visit the bride-to-be." said by no other than Steven Stone.